The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Oregano Oil, Tamari Soy Sauce
Posted by Jo-jo74 (Philadelphia, Pa) on 06/30/2012
★★★★★
Oregano is a good option for sore throats. However, it's important to dilute it with something other than water, like honey or coconut oil. This way, there is less chance of throat irritation. (Oregano oil is strong! )
Option #2- Tamari soy sauce worked well as a gargle as an alternative to ACV or pickle juice.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Sam Jam (Burbank, Ca) on 09/14/2011
★★★★★
I am so excited to share this with you, my dad is a health guru, and I was feeling pretty crappy last night, the pain was so bad in my throat I was tearing up, and I was finding it soo hard to swollen and I just couldn't fall to sleep with the pain. I knew I needed something healthy in my system to repair me. So I wrote on a piece of paper (as it hurt so badly to talk) please make me a magic drink dad.. I didn't really think it would take away my pains and allow me to sleep but I did think that all the healthy stuff my dad would put in it would help me to recover quicker. My dad never gets sick because every day he has drinks like the one I'm about to share with you! But OH MY did it take my pain away and make me feel AMAZINGLY better!!!! I can talk, I can swallow, the pain is barely there, I do have to have this drink about every 3 hours to keep the pain down, when I'm awake but I just sip slowly :) the drink last night relieved the pain through the night. But then I woke up I definitely felt better but symptoms were slowly coming back. So I repeated the drink and wal-ar I feel amazing again! :) so here it is! Pleeeease try it you'll be amazed!! Try using all organic ingredients if you can!!
Fresh *garlic* clove chopped up really small, lump of fresh *ginger* chopped up small, flat teaspoon of powdered *cayenne pepper* (or as much as u can handle, teaspoon of *tumeric* powder, teaspoon of *cinnamon* powder, table spoon or two of *apple cider vinegar* (or as much as u can handle) spoonful of *raw honey*, squeezed *lemon juice* mix all that together with 8oz hot water let it sit for a few mins to all infuse. If you're not used to cayenne pepper like I'm not, at first it will burn your throat a little, but to me it actually felt good, coz I feel like I was attacking the pain. :) sip slowly and after a few mins of sipping you will start to feel relief :) stir in between sips when lumps of garlic and ginger settle to the bottom, try and swallow all the ingredients down. I swear this is the best remedy I have ever tried! It started last night and im now on my first day I'm interested on seeing how quickly I recover from all this goodness I'm feeding my body!! :) My mom is making me a homemade organic soup of carrot and ginger puree, it sounds soo good :) I'm excited!! I'm a lucky one to have my family look after me when I'm sick, I'm 23 and still loving the love ;) hope this helps a lot of you like it did me!! Also if you get a chance look up the book by Louise Hay, "You Can Heal Your Life" it talks about the reasonings behinds coughs, colds, sore throats, and other ailments :) love and good healing energy to you all!! Xoxo
Whiskey, Honey, Lemon
Posted by Kaylee (Philadelphia, Pa) on 09/06/2011
★★★★★
My grandmother told me she got this remedy from her mother and passed it down to me: whiskey, honey, and lemon. Use equal parts of each and mix together. It may not sound like the most appealing thing out there, but I promise it will relieve any sore throat!
Peanut Butter
Posted by Leriejane (Seattle, Wa, Usa) on 07/17/2010
★★★☆☆WORKED TEMPORARILY
PEANUT BUTTER
Out of curiosity, I tried eating a spoonful of chunky peanut butter to soothe my sore throat, and it worked! It lasted at least 1/2 an hour, but that's longer than any cough drops, tea, honey, or apple cider vinegar that I've tried. Half an hour isn't that long, but most of the scratchiness and soreness went down and continued for awhile after. It's a lot of calories, but if you're sick you probably won't be eating much, so won't be a problem. This is probably a good solution to do when your throat hurts really bad, between cough drops or tea, etc.
HARD LIQUOR
I've also found that drinking a shot of cheap alcohol, the kind that 'burns' as it goes down, works really well at numbing the throat. Either drink or gargle a shot's worth (or add it to warm water with salt).
Peanut Butter
Posted by Kirky (Toronto, Canada) on 04/06/2012
★★★★★
Oh my god. Just had a bit of peanut butter and it instantly worked! I'll be keeping this jar by my side today~ Haha
Vinegar
Posted by Gina (Denver, Co) on 05/20/2011
★☆☆☆☆
I have a sinus and ear infection and my throat has been killing me for 3 days. Went to the Dr. and got an antibiotic but my throat is still raw so I'm ready to try something "natural". I just tried 8 oz (240 ml) of warm water with a TBSP cidar vinegar, TBSP lemon juice and 2 TBSP honey. OMG I thought I was going to puke (maybe use less vinegar) I drank it all as quickly as I could and my throat is still killing me. Not a fan. Gimme drugs over this "remedy" any day.
Vinegar
Posted by Sara (Edmonton, Alberta Canada) on 05/29/2011
★★★★☆
Vinegar Syrup Lemon, it may taste wierd but it instantly worked its magic. I felt a burning sensation, 10 seconds later my throat felt ALOT better. The sore throat isnt completely gone but the pain of swallowing has eased 100x better.
Oregano Oil
Posted by Dimetri (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) on 09/21/2009
★★★★★
For a sore throat I have found that Oil of Oregano works like a miracle cure. Apply one to three drops on the tongue, close your mouth and allow your saliva to wash it back towards your throat. You will feel a choking/burning sensation for about 10 to 20 seconds which will soon subside. Repeat as needed throughout the day. Usually by the second or third day, my symptoms have gone. During this time, stay away from processed foods and especially white sugar & sugar filled foods. Those little bacteria and viruses love that stuff. And remember to keep yourself hydrated - lots of water, not soda, not beer, not alcohol, not flavoured water, not crystal light, just H2O. Usually about 2 to 3 litres depending on your weight.
Aspirin, Salt, Baking Soda
Posted by Freshcougarbabe (St Louis, MO) on 07/14/2009
★★★★★
2 asprins disolved with 1 tablespoon of salt and baking soda in warm water. I get sore throats all the time and I gargle with this mixture and in a day or two my sore throat is gone. Also I tried the apple cider vinegar, then garggling with the salt baking soda and asprin mixture, then garrgled with 1/2 teaspoon of cayeene pepper in warm water and then laid with a warm towel around my next and this really helped me out the last time because my throat was a little more severe than other times. So i suggest that you just play around with combinations until you find the right one for you.
ACV, Baking Soda, Cayenne
Posted by Sundrop881 (Rockford, Illinois) on 05/15/2010
I would be careful about using the baking soda as a great uncle of mine used it almost daily as an anti-acid and eventually it burned holes in his stomach.
I had a sore throat. I just took my tonic (composed of lemon juice, tomato juice, grated garlic and some hot sauce) with 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper and swallowed when I was on my back. I took about 3-4 sips and now my sore throat is gone and I feel like a human being. Other than my stomach is a little jittery, I feel Okay. My nose is still plugged, but I am working on it with a saline nose spray. Thanks, I can finally do some work now.
Mouthwash
Posted by Barb (Aberdeen, WA) on 05/07/2009
★★★★★
When you gargle with Listerine for a sore throat, try this: when you are done gargling, let just a SMALL amount of the Listerine go down your throat. In this way, the Listerine reaches any germs that are a little farther down your throat, where gargling can't reach. I have tried this several times, and if you do it about three times a day, as long as your throat is sore, it will relieve it. It's also important to do all the other good things too, though, such as getting extra rest, drinking liquids, etc.
Cayenne Tips
Posted by Cecilia (Atlanta, Georgia) on 03/06/2009
★★★★★
In order to avoid severe coughing while gargling with cayenne pepper (red pepper) in tempered water you need to breath deeply, hold your breath, take a sip of cayenne pepper, gargle, spit the mix and breath normal.
Gargling this way you avoid breathing through your mouth when you are sipping the mix and the dry cayenne powder doesn't get into your through.
Also, when the throat and larynx are irritated it is better not to swallow a lot of the mix so just swallow what is left in your spit after spitting the mix. It has worked wonderfully for me!
Cayenne Tips
Posted by Giancarlo (Sunny Isles Beach, Fl) on 01/15/2010
yes, yes there is a trick for the fire not to come out of your nose and ears, literately!
At first, I tried gargling, and it exploded out of my nose and the cayenne vapor was coming out of my eyes burning, spit it right away. Then I realized that it was way deeper than that, so I was gonna have to drink it.
I did a few rounds of practice with water alone first. Hold your nose and swallow water without breathing. Don't let the air come out from your ears either. It's all connected in there.
I put some honey on the mix, and held my nose, and swallowed without letting air out in any direction, but down my throat. It worked, I didn't explode at all.
Now I can do it tomorrow. If you even let a little air out... it's a bomb.
Acid Reflux Connection
Posted by Rob (Mount Vernon, NY) on 01/15/2009
★★★★★
sore throats and acid reflux!
Here's a tip I'd love to share. Last year I dealt with a sore throat for over 3 months! Finally went to an ENT who put the camera up my nose and down my throat and saw that there was no infection. As it turns out he diagnosed it as acid reflux! So he put me on a reflux regimen and started me on AcipHex which I tried for a week to no avail. Then I tried Nexium out of pocket since it was not covered in my insurance formulary, and in about a day and a half, it was gone! Hope this helps someone!
Acid Reflux Connection
Posted by Mike O (Blackwood, Nj Usa) on 12/07/2011
Orange Peel Extract is the answer. It is all natural not a prescribed pill... D-Lymonene is what I use take it once in the morning and works like a charm! First few times you will burp up oranges but that means it's working. Good Luck
Acid Reflux Connection
Posted by Lou (Tyler, Tx) on 03/06/2012
I had horrible pain seemingly in the thyroid and hoarse voice today and the last few days. Hard to breathe and swallow. I used one of Ted's suggestions. I put 5 drops of hydrogen peroxide (3%) in a bottle of water 16.5 oz. (approx. 1/2 liter) and a little bit of borax (1/8 tsp. ) I feel 100% better now. Drink this slowly over 1/2 of the day.
Coconut Oil
Posted by SUNNY (Ca) on 09/05/2021
Best way is to gargle and spit it. And swallow some. Best kind is cold pressed organic coconut oil. This works! Coconut oil is antibacterial and antiviral and warm and relaxing.
Vinegar
Posted by Abby (Birmingham, England) on 09/12/2012
i tried the vinegar it didn't completely cure it but when I wake up usually my throat is so painful I can't talk. I tried the vinegar and oh my god it relieved the pain so much. I used just normal vinegar it worked better then my cyder vinegar.
Whiskey
Posted by Kate (Toronto, Ontario) on 12/04/2008
★★★★★
The best remedy I know for sore throat is Drambuie. It's a Scottish liquer made with malt whiskey and spiced honey, and is 40%. Other similarly strong alcohols might help, but I have never tried them. Weak alcoholic drinks do NOT work.
Just one small sip always provides immediate relief for myself and all my family. If the liquid doesn't seem to touch the particular spot in your throat, I like to gargle just a little bit. I know it sounds gross, and please remember this is a liquer, so you only want a sip and not a whole mouthful.
If the sore throat comes back, two or three more sips throughout the day might be necessary. I have never had to use it more often than this.
Of course I don't think I need to mention that this isn't for kids as the taste is very strong and could upset sensitive stomachs.
Also, just a warning, that a 375ml bottle here in Canada will cost you about $25. This bottle will however last you a VERY long time. If you don't want to fork out that much, there are always small sample size bottles available too.
Honestly though, this has worked in my family for the past 20 years at least.
Antiseptic Mouthwash
Posted by Joey (Toronto, Ontario) on 11/26/2008
★☆☆☆☆
This stuff is a lie, it makes you foam haha, I tried it, don't try it, it doesn't even work either.
Antiseptic Mouthwash
Posted by Matthew (Philladelphia, PA) on 02/18/2009
★★★★☆
Antiseptic Mouthwash [Listerine] made my sore throat better, but not cured. It took the sharp edge off of my sore throat, but it definitely didn't cure it.
Hot Sauce
Posted by Ryan Beacher (Coatesville, PA) on 10/08/2008
★★★★★
Okay, so basically, i know this is going to sound crazy, but I'm telling you. This works 100%. So, I've had strep throat for about 4 days now, and it is NOT getting better. I was looking online for anything that would help, and i came across the cayanne pepper trick. I ran upstairs to see if i had any, and to my dismay, i did not. what i did have though, was franks red hot sauce, containing, vinegar, water, and of coarse cayanne peppers. I just carry a bottle around, and drink one swig an hour. and honestly, i have no pain whatsoever, my throat feels fine. its not so much a cure, as much as its instant pain relief. its amazing. it legitimatly works better then any medicine ive ever seen. try it out if you dont believe me.
Cayenne Pepper Recipes
Posted by Tammy (Port Deposit, MD) on 10/02/2008
Try adding cayenne to Ramen soup. Add a pinch or two depending on your sensitivity to the hot water or add when you put in seasoning packet. Mix it up good and make sure you drink the broth. Not only will it heal your throat it will start your sinus's draining as well.
Carrot Juice
Posted by Hope (Inverness, FL) on 06/10/2008
★★★★★
The best way to get rid of a sore throat is to drink fresh carrot juice (as much as possible) and within a day or two, it should be gone. You can buy it at your local health store or juice the carrots yourself if you have a juicer. The problem with this, however, is it can be costly and time consuming (if you are using a juicer). So here is another option that I do a lot (and also use it for my daughter). I use a homeopathic "cold remedy". You can buy it at your local health store or buy it online. You have to follow the instructions just like it says. Sometimes, you have to take the "pill" once every 2 hours and sometimes it will be once every 15 minutes until it subsides... and then an hour or two thereafter till it goes away. For me, the homeopathic cold remedy works usually within 2 days... but again, you need to be religious about taking the pills.
Carrot Juice
Posted by V (Poughkeepsie, New York) on 06/08/2012
One note on this, you can avoid all that by just chewing fresh well washed and skinned carrots til they give you all the juice, then eating the pulp is up to you, I say why not but in this case you could always put half in the compost pile.
Cayenne Tips
Posted by Giancarlo (Poughkeepsie, New York) on 03/17/2008
★★★★★
Some Dangers of this cure: Ok you have to warn people loud and clear that they have to water it down... i let some hot sauce down my throat not watered down at all and my throat valve just completly closed and i was gasping for air and i almost died... but after sucking down water i was able to get control of myself.. but anyways my soar throat was gone pretty much instantly lol.
Cayenne Tips
Posted by Belina (Merida, Yucatan, Mexco) on 03/12/2008
I've read about people having problems with Cayenne, Habanero or other "hot" chilies or sauces and as a Chef who specializes in Mexican fare, plus I now live in Mexico too, I can give you a very easy and efficient remedy to ease the burning from peppers. Also, it doesn't matter if the burning is in your mouth, lips, face (from touching it with your hands after handling peppers) or hands, it works:
Put a little salt on the palm of your left hand, wet the tip of your right index finger in your mouth slightly and dip it in the salt and place it UNDER your tongue (sublingual) in the tender area on your jaw and not ON the underside of the tongue. Relief is very quick, easy to do, you can do it anywhere (like a restaurant) and works for everyone plus you can find salt everywhere.
